Disclosed herein are silicon-containing or silicon-based films, that are non-oxygen containing or substantially free of oxygen, and methods of forming the same. The silicon-based films described herein include, but not limited to, non-stoichiometric silicon carbide, silicon carbonitride, silicon nitride or amorphous silicon for use in various electronic applications.
Other elements besides silicon may be present in the non-oxygen containing silicon-based films. These other elements may sometimes be intentionally added into the compositional mixture via deposition process depending upon the resultant application of the film or desired end-properties. For example, the element nitrogen (N) may be added to the silicon-based films to form a carbonitride, or silicon nitride film that may provide a certain dielectric performance such as lower leakage current. Depending upon the application, however, certain elements in the film may be undesirable even at lower concentration levels.
The reference, IPCOM000172513D entitled “Method of depositing a thin film on a semiconductor substrate” disclosed non-limiting embodiments of a device and a process for depositing a film on a substrate for semiconductor manufacturing applications are described. The reference describes using one or more of the following precursors, trisilylamine (TSA), 1,4-disilabutane (1,4-DSB) and ammonia (NH3), to obtain a SixCyNz film in a LPCVD reactor at 2-5 Torr/400-550° C. This embodiment has low temperature deposition (below 550° C.), high vapor pressure of precursors and the ability to tune carbon content by changing the reactants/ratios.
The reference IPCOM000168604D entitled “Extra Low-Temperature SiC Deposition” disclosed the deposition of SiC thin films at low temperature (<500° C.) in a thermal CVD regime. The SiC source is an organosilane with nitrogen as a dilution gas. The organosilane gases are Si-substituted alkanes such as disilabutane (e.g., 1,3-disilabutane) and trisilaheptane (e.g., 2,4,6-trisilaheptane).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,716 (“the '716 Patent”) described the deposition of SiC by chemical vapor deposition from a vapor source containing both Si and C in a single molecular species. The molecular species has general formula CnSinHm where m ranges from 2n+1 to 4n+2 inclusive and n=2-6 inclusive, and exhibits a primary pyrolysis mechanism producing reactive fragments containing both Si and C atoms. The Si and C atoms are co-deposited onto the substrates in equal numbers and at equal rates producing stoichiometrically deposited SiC.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,651,725 (“the '725 Patent”) disclosed a method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film by reaction of an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas at a constant RF power level from about 10 W to about 200 W or a pulsed RF power level from about 20 W to about 500 W. The '725 Patent teaches that carbon such as some organo functional groups remain in the oxidized organo silane layer which contribute to low dielectric constants and excellent barrier properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,975 and US Publ. No. 2011/275507 disclosed the deposition of dielectric layers with a low dielectric constant, said layers being used to separate metallic interconnections especially during the production of integrated circuit boards (in the BEOL part of the circuit). The dielectric layer comprises low dielectric constant SiC and/or SiOC, and is obtained from at least one precursor comprising at least one “Si—“C”n-Si chain where n=1.
US Publ. No. 2010/0143609 disclosed a method of forming a low-carbon content, Si-containing film by CVD on a substrate having trenches includes: introducing a Si-containing compounds having 3 hydrocarbon units in its molecules and having a boiling temperature of 35-220° C.; applying RF power to the gas; and depositing a film on a substrate having trenches wherein the substrate is controlled at a temperature such that components of the Si-containing compound are at least partially liquefied on the substrate, thereby filling the trenches with the film.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,548 disclosed a process for depositing a low dielectric constant layer (k<3) on a flat panel display and a flat panel display. The process included reacting one or more organosilicon compound with an oxygen containing compound at an RF power level from about 0.345-1.265 W/cm2. The flat panel display included a plasma display panel having a first substrate, a plurality of barriers deposited on the first substrate, a second substrate, a low dielectric constant layer (k<3) deposited on the second substrate, and a plurality of ground electrodes formed between the barriers and the dielectric layer.
US Publ. No. 2003/0194496 disclosed methods for depositing a low dielectric constant material. In one aspect, the reference described a method for depositing a low dielectric constant material including introducing a processing gas comprising H and an O-containing organosilicon compound, an O-free organosilicon compound, or combinations thereof, to a substrate surface in a processing chamber and reacting the processing gas at processing conditions to deposit the low dielectric constant material on the substrate surface, in which the low k dielectric material comprises at least Si and C. The processing gas may further include an inert gas, a meta-stable compound, or combinations thereof. The method may further include treating the low dielectric constant material with a H-containing plasma, annealing the deposited low dielectric constant material, or combinations thereof.
US Publ. No. 2010/233886 described methods of forming silicon-based films comprising Si, such as, but not limited to, Si oxide, Si oxycarbide, Si carbide, and combinations thereof, that exhibit at least one of the following characteristics: low wet etch resistance, a dielectric constant of 6.0 or below, and/or can withstand a high temperature, rapid thermal anneal process. The methods employ a Si-containing precursor having the formula R13Si—R2—SiR3 such as, for example 1,4-disilabutane, and an O source which is provided in a molar amount less than a 1:1 ratio to the Si precursor.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,448,187 and 6,743,737 disclosed a method and apparatus for depositing a low dielectric constant film includes depositing a silicon oxide based film, preferably by reaction of an organosilicon compound and an oxidizing gas at a low RF power level from about 10 W to about 500 W, exposing the silicon oxide based film to water or a hydrophobic-imparting surfactant such as hexamethyldisilazane, and curing the silicon oxide based film at an elevated temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,745,328 disclosed a method of forming low-k dielectric barrier films with oxygen doping by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). A silicon carbide layer having significantly reduced current leakage is deposited onto a substrate. The silicon carbide layer serves as a barrier layer or part of a barrier bilayer that also includes a barrier layer.